Our Life of Faith: Living Between Christ’s First and Second Healing Touch
The Healing Touch (1987) by Tim Holmes. Commissioned by the Physicians
for Social Responsibility as their annual PSR Peace Award.
“And Simon and those who were with him pursued Jesus, [because he had gone out of the
fishing village of Capernaum early morning, to pray]. And they found him and said to him,
Everyone is searching for you.’ And [Jesus] said to them, ‘Let us go on to the next towns,
that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out.’ And [Jesus] went throughout
all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and [healing the sick].” (Mark 1:36-39; RSV)
To set the stage for this weekend’s sermon… St. Mark’s gospel begins with the Spirit of God descending upon Jesus like the enfolding wings of a dove (as the accompanying illustration tries to express) saying: “Thou art my beloved Son” (Mark 1:10-11). And with these “touching words” of salvation, taking-up residence now in Jesus’ life (1:1), he moves forth to begin a ministry of teaching and healing, proclaiming: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (1:15).
Note the strong correlation between Jesus’ touch and the healing it brings to our oft’ frail, human condition. For Jesus touches a man possessed and he’s healed (1:21-28). Then Jesus takes Simon’s bed-ridden mother-in-law by the hand and she’s healed (1:29-31). But how is this true for us today? How do we experience the healing touch, the coming of God’s kingdom that is “at hand” in Jesus? As we live by faith, between Christ’s first (now some 2000 years ago) and second touch (when he ushers in the fullness of God’s kingdom at the end of time) … let’s consider three basic responses.
A first way in which we experience Jesus’ ongoing “healing touch” in our life today is through com-passion (meaning “suffering with”; cf. Galatians 6:2). Paul Tournier, the Swiss psychiatrist observes: “In simply being present for the other person, in simple acceptance, comes healing – no matter how great the suffering” (The Healing of Persons). Isn’t this exactly what Jesus did? Accepting people – breaking-in from the outside – reaching-out to them – no matter their condition?
But now, secondly, where can this strength of compassion come from when we’re so banged-up ourselves?! Jesus leads us to the well-spring for this strength and renewal, as he himself seeks out a quiet place in gospel text (Mark 1:35; also 6:46, 14:32) … to pray … to stay in touch with the One who “knows our every weakness” (cf. Hebrews 4:14-16), the One who is the source of all strength and life. Yes, Christ’s “healing touch” is always there for us in prayerful solitude. And so we, with the early disciples ask Jesus where his power comes from; yes, “teach us how to pray’ (Luke 11:1-4).
A third and concluding way in which we experience Christ’s ongoing “healing touch” is through his sacraments. So … what is a sacrament? It is a means of God’s grace through which Christ promises 1) to be present; and 2) to forgive sin. As Martin Luther observes: “Where there is forgiveness of sin, there is life and salvation” (Small Catechism; cf. I Peter 2:4). Forgiveness and healing go together (cf. Mark 2:5; John 5:14). And thus, this weekend as we come together for Holy Communion with open hands, needing the healing touch of Jesus, we hear his gentle voice saying to us: “Feel my real presence here in this bread and wine … for it is my body given for you, my blood shed for you … for the forgiveness of sin” (I Corinthians 11:24-25).
The wonder and power of this sacramental “healing touch” was so moving for the ancient church father, St. Ignatius, that he professed: “The Lord’s Supper is the antidoton, the “antidote” for death (antidoton to me apothanein; see Paul Tillich’s A History of Christian Thought, p.23).
See you at worship this weekend as we gather around God’s healing touch of Holy Communion together with the “communion of saints.” The peace of Christ be with you.
Dr. John Christopherson
Senior Pastor
Nothing Good, but Something Greater
Have you ever stumbled upon something greater than you were expecting? Perhaps you went to the symphony to hear some amazing musicians playing some the world’s greatest compositions, but in the middle of the performance you found yourself taken not only with the music but with the connection to amazing human genius, emotion, and being. Or maybe you went to the grocery looking for ice cream and found the new gallon sized container and just stood there in awe and wonder.
Jesus’ disciples have been looking, searching, waiting for the Messiah (John 1:41). John pointed Simon and Andrew to him. Phillip pointed him out to Nathaniel. They were all searching for someone great, pointing one another to Jesus for they were convinced that their search was ended. They had found what they were looking for.
Or did they? They were looking for something great, but could they have even known who Jesus was? Can anything good come from Nazareth? Come and see, for he might be all that you have been looking for, and more. Jesus promises that in him, “You will see even greater things than these.”
Pastor Lars Olson
More Connected But Lonelier Than Ever
This coming Saturday night, we will celebrate the in-breaking light of the Epiphany Season with the premiering of a special candlelight service at 6:00 p.m. entitled, [LINK] "Festival of Light." This is a marvelous opportunity for our entire Sioux Falls community to trace, and more deeply understand, the connectedness of the Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany stories – including dramatic sketches, Scripture readings, together with the music of colorful brass, percussion, flute, organ and festival choirs of all ages. The service will conclude with the [LINK] visit of the Magi. Then, on Sunday morning, at all three worship services (8:00, 9:30, 11:00), we will celebrate Holy Communion together around God’s Word from Mark 1:4-11. It’s a Word that speaks not only of Jesus’ baptism, but connects you with the promises God has made for you at your baptism – as his beloved child. “You are my beloved daughter/son; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11; RSV)
Now let me ask you to stop for a moment and reflect. How often, if ever, do you think about baptism in general, or your own baptism, in particular? And what, if anything, does baptism mean to you? Do you consider baptism an important event in your life or no? Finally, would you agree that baptism is the most important event in our lives? Here’s why I ask …
I’m certainly no “techie” (just ask my colleagues!) … However, I am struck big-time, in today’s culture, by the many data related expressions of affirmation. Facebook gives us the chance to “like” movies or music or posts and to have things we write or post “liked” by our “friends” in return. Twitter and Instagram for example, invite us to collect thousands of “friends” or “followers,” most of whom we’ve never even met! Right? And ads are increasingly personalized, targeting (“geo-tagging”) our particular tastes and creating the impression that we’re the most important customer in the world. And so on.
One of the reasons I think social media and various digital platforms are so powerful is precisely because they creatively offer affirmation (here’s that word again) in plentiful doses. Deep down of course, we know that this kind of affirmation doesn’t really mean all that much. Or at least shouldn’t. And many of the folks we encounter via the web, after all, don’t really know us and we don’t know them. So how can their “likes” or “hearts” create any enduring sense of value or worth? Yet, it’s hard not to wonder what’s wrong with the picture we posted to Instagram if only ten people “liked” it when another picture gathered-in hundreds. Right?
So, while this kind of affirmation may be somewhat superficial, it’s at least better than nothing. We crave that recognition/interaction because we are, at heart, inherently social critters. Almost every element of our being reflects God’s observation in Genesis that ‘it’s not good for us to be alone’ (Genesis 2:18). And so the affirmation, relentless as it is ubiquitous, social media creates the perception that we’re linked or connected to a community of all these like-minded, like-able people who really value or like us. If you, like, know what I mean.
But is this perception or illusion? In a book that was published in 2015 by Dr. Sherry Turkel, a Psychology prof. at MIT, entitled, Alone Together (TED Talk link), she’s discovered that people today report feeling simultaneously more connected and lonelier than ever before. Why? Because while we may crave affirmation (those superficial kudos of “likes”), what we really need is acceptance (valued just as you are, warts and all, by God). Come and hear more about this amazing gift, that no matter how unacceptable we are – being guilty as sin – we are still accepted and beloved by God, the very Creator of the whole Cosmos! This is what’s at the heart of baptism. And for a generation that’s been sold a cheap affirmation as a substitute for genuine acceptance, there’s no more powerful or important word.
May the light of Christ shine on you in this season of Epiphany,
j.r. christopherson
Senior Pastor